Monday, January 26, 2009

Home Depot To Layoff 7,000

It looks like the economy isn't going to get any better in the short term. Now the home improvement giant, Home Depot, has announced that it will cut 7,000 jobs, or about 2 percent of its workforce, as it shuts its Expo home design centers business and cuts down on corporate support staff.
But that's not all they are doing to protect themselves from slumping sales. Home Depo will freeze the salaries of all officers until further notice.
The company said it expects pretax charges of about $532 million from its actions.
The company said it still expects sales to decline 8 percent and earnings per share to fall 24 percent from continuing operations for its fiscal year, excluding one-time charges.
For its coming fiscal year, Home Depot said it will cut capital spending to about $1 billion and will open 12 stores.
Home Depot's (HD) Stock Price rose on the news, up $1.27 (5.85%) to 22.99. Home Depot's 52 week high was $31.08 (January 31, 2008) and it's 52 week low was $17.05 (October 10, 2008)

Monster Truck Death Caught on Video

A tragedy at a Motor Sports Monster Truck and Thrill Show was captured on video. The promoter for the Motor Sports Monster Truck and Thrill Show has died from injuries in an accident at the Dane County Coliseum in the second fatality at a monster truck event in nine days.

The Dane County Coroner says 41-year-old George Eisenhart Jr. of Chardon, Ohio, died after the accident on Saturday night in Madison. A witness tells the Wisconsin State Journal that Eisenhart walked out in front of one of the monster trucks just as it was about to pass by.
The death comes just over a week after 6-year-old Sebastian Hizey died at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Wash. He was struck in the head by a Frisbee-sized chunk of metal that tore off a truck doing doughnuts during the Monster Jam show, which is run by a different company.

Click Here To Play Video

Friday, January 23, 2009

Mysterious Places In America And The Coral Castle

Over the last few years, interest in the paranormal, the mystical and miracle healings have increased tenfold. Television and media have jumped on this phenomeon with shows like Ghost Hunters, Scariest Places On Earth and even Ripley's Believe It Or Not. CableTV stations such as SciFi, A&E and the History Channel are focusing more and more on these "non-human" occurrences.
Humans as a whole are a curious bunch and always seeking answers to the unknown. And the media has jumped on the opportunity to increase ratings whether or not they are elaborate hoaxes, optical illusions or explainable events.
With that said, here are 4 very strange places in America that have paranormal, mystical and unexplained histories. Here are four supposedly mysterical places: the Coral Castle, Oregon Vortez, Skinwalker Ranch and Mel's Hole.

Coral Castle
Coral Castle is a stone structure created by the Latvian-American eccentric Edward Leedskalnin north of the city of Homestead, Florida in Miami-Dade County at the intersection of U.S. 1 (South Dixie Highway) and Southwest 157th Ave. The structure comprises numerous megalithic stones, each weighing several tons.
The Castle was built by Edward Leedskalnin after being jilted by his 16-year-old fiancée Agnes Scuffs in Latvia, just one day before the wedding. Leaving for America, he came down with allegedly terminal tuberculosis but spontaneously healed, stating that magnets had some effect on his disease.
Edward spent over 28 years building the Coral Castle, refusing to allow anyone to view him while he worked. A few teenagers, who claimed to have witnessed his work, reported that he had caused the blocks of coral to move like hydrogen balloons. The only tool that Leedskalnin spoke of using was a "perpetual motion holder."
What is most remarkable about the contents of the Coral Castle is the massive size of the stones used throughout the construction, all the more remarkable when one considers that a single man assembled the entire site using only primitive tools. With few exceptions, the objects are made from single pieces of stone. The stones on average weigh more than the stones found in the Pyramids of Egypt. The largest stone weighs 30 tons, which is over three times the size of the heaviest stone found in the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Oregon Vortex
The Oregon Vortex is a roadside attraction located in Gold Hill, Oregon, in the United States. It consists of a number of optical illusions which the attraction's proprietors claim are the result of paranormal properties of the area.
According to local legend, a gold assay office built in the area in 1890 slid from its foundation, coming to rest at an odd angle. Visitors to the structure subconsciously assume that its walls are vertical and its floor level, since those rules apply to every other building they have visited. This erroneous assumption provides the illusion of a localized gravity anomaly, as objects seem to roll uphill or balance at odd angles. The same phenomenon is demonstrated in Pennsylvania's Laurel Caverns and at Santa Cruz, California's Mystery Spot.
Many of the paranormal events based on visual information are well known optical illusions The most famous illusion involves two people changing in relative heights depending on where they stand. This effect may be due to a distorted background which results in a forced perspective, as with an Ames room.

Skinwalker Ranch
Skinwalker Ranch is a ranch reputedly located in the Uintah Basin of Utah; it is allegedly the site of a series of paranormal activities.
A precise site has never been publicly confirmed (it's supposed coordinates are at 40°15'31"N 109°53'16"W), but the ranch is supposed to cover 480 acres relatively near to the Utah cities of Roosevelt and Vernal. Its name comes from the "Skinwalker", a supernatural being in Ute folklore.
The paranormal activity at Skinwalker Ranch has been intermitten at best, but according to sources, the alleged activity encountered is unusual or unidentified aircraft, balls of light, poltergeist activity, cattle mutilation, and strange creatures. have been reported [1]. The book "Hunt for the Skinwalker" asserts that after numerous interviews with neighbors to the Gorman ranch, many spoke of unusual experiences to NIDS researchers (one, identified as "Mr. Gonsalez" alleged that he had unusual experiences with cattle disappearances). They also claim local Ute Indians have a history of encounters with unusual objects and creatures [7]. Since the real names of these people are not revealed, these claims cannot be independently verified.

Mel's Hole
Mel's Hole is the name given to an alleged geographic anomaly that a man named Mel Waters claimed to have discovered on his land near Ellensburg, Washington. This man claimed that he lived in or near Manastash Ridge, Washington, about nine miles due west of Ellensburg, though later investigation revealed that no such person is listed as a resident. According to him, the hole has paranormal properties, including an infinite depth and the ability to restore dead animals to life.
The first references to the hole were made in a series of interviews with Waters, made by Art Bell on the American radio show Coast to Coast AM. Waters initially appeared on Coast to Coast AM on February 21, 1997. He since appeared on February 24, 1997, April 2000 and January 29, 2002. His most recent appearance on the show was on December 20, 2002.
While speaking on Coast to Coast AM, Waters related several stories about the hole and its properties. Among these stories was the claim that he had discovered that it was in excess of 15 miles (24 kilometers) deep, a figure he is said to have reached after spooling out 18 reels of 20 lb test fishing line, tied end on end, into the hole. Waters claims that he attached a "triangular, one-pound, standard lead fishing weight" to the end of the fishing line. (Note, however, that the fishing weight plus the weight of 18 spools of 5000-foot monofilament fishing line might well exceed the tensile strength of the line.)
Waters also alluded to the hole as having a property to resurrect dead animals, this claim arising from a story about an acquaintance who said he threw his dead dog's body into the hole and re-encountered his dog, alive, hunting with someone else, some time later. He also speculated that the hole and its properties might be tied to certain cosmological events, including unspecified alignments of the moon.
Whether or not you are a believer you have to be curious about what is going on. Is the government behind any of these? No one knows.
source:wiki

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Circuit City and the Sharp Aquos 42

The Circuit City Liquation is your chance to get one of the best LCD widescreens on the market today - The Sharp Aquos 42 - at an absolutely outstanding - one-time only price. Here is a little of the technical aspects of the Sharp Aquos 42

Sharp, a leader in LCD technology, establishes a new design standard for LCD TVs. The AQUOS® LC-42D64U raises the bar by fitting large screen sizes into incredibly small footprints. By changing the layout of circuits inside the LCD panel and by reducing the number of parts, Sharp engineers developed the Slim-line design which reduces depth by 25%, allowing placement of the LC-42D64U in virtually any setting. It utilizes Sharp's proprietary Advanced Super View / Black TFT Panel with multi-pixel technology, providing 10,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio with Enhanced Picture Contrast Technology and 4ms response time. The LC-42D64U features built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC tuners and includes 3 HDMI™ (version 1.3) inputs, compatible with 1080p signals, a PC input and 2 HD component video inputs. Side terminals are included for wall-mounting convenience as well as RS-232C input for control.

Sharp Aquos 42 Features
  • Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) Resolution for the sharpest picture possible.
  • 10,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio and 4ms1 Response Time produces spectacular picture quality.
  • Three HDMI™ (version 1.3) and Dual Component Inputs for the ultimate in terminal flexibility. All HD inputs are compatible with 1080p sources.
  • Wide Viewing Angles (176º H x 176º V) Sharp's AQUOS LCD TV viewing angles are so wide, you can view the TV clearly from practically anywhere in the room.
  • Enhanced Black Level provides the deepest, most accurate blacks of any flat panel TV.
  • High Brightness (450 cd/m2) AQUOS LCD Televisions are very bright. You can put them virtually anywhere – even near windows, doors or other light sources – and the picture is still vivid.
  • Built-in ATSC/QAM/NTSC Tuners provide access to DTV and analog TV channels.
  • AQUOS engine with ASV Technology provides high-performance video processing for the brightest, most vivid colors and images.

    So, hurry and get your local Circuit City and order your own Sharp Aquos 42.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Roger Clemens Name Removed From Texas Sports Clinic


Roger Clemens, the former New York Yankee and Boston Red Sox, has stayed out of the limelight over the last few months. But down in Houston, Texas, his name is being removed from a Houston sports medicine clinic. And I guess you can figure out why!
The Administrators of the Roger Clemens Institute for Sports Medicine at Memorial Hermann have decided to change the clinics name and the reason is ...
"The move reflects a desire to promote the broad range of sports medicine services and programs offered by Memorial Hermann across the greater Houston area," the release said. "This change only affects the name of the Institute. Roger Clemens remains committed to working with us to champion youth sports and develop aspiring baseball players."
In José Canseco's book, Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Big, Canseco alleges that Roger Clemens had expert knowledge about steroids and suggested that he probably used steroids, based on the improvement in his performance after leaving the Red Sox.
In addition, Clemens has faced steroid scrutiny when it was reported that pitcher Jason Grimsley had allegedly named him, as well as Andy Pettitte, as users of performance enhancing drugs. He still denies using steroids.
We haven't heard the last of Roger Clemens and controversy over electing him into the Hall of Fame will grow.

Economic Woes Hit Tournament of Roses Parade

On Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 8 a.m. (PST), millions of spectators from around the world will celebrate the New Year with the 120th Rose Parade themed Hats Off To Entertainment. The Rose Parade will once again feature the beautiful pageantry and tradition of magnificent floral floats, high-stepping equestrians and spirited marching bands.
Following the Rose Parade, at 2:00 p.m. (PST), the 95th Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi will feature an exciting match-up between BCS ranked No. 8 Penn State and No. 5 USC in The Granddaddy of Them All. The Rose Bowl will be broadcast exclusively on ABC and on ESPN radio.
This year the economy casts shadow over Rose Parade but doesn't squelch festive spirit. Smaller float-makers this year felt the pinch of rising flower and seed prices and decreasing donations. Paradegoers are scaling back travel plans, but optimism still permeates the event.
When the 120th Rose Parade rolls onto Colorado Boulevard this morning, the really valuable seating will be the free spots on the sidewalk, as the venerable parade and bowl game take a recessionary hit -- albeit one that New Year's revelers are taking with the day's trademark optimism.
Bonnie VanArsdale of Newbury Park was stuck with extra parade tickets after friends from Texas canceled their trip. She attempted to sell two of the tickets on Craigslist.com, but got no takers, so instead she gave them to her grandson, 8, and grandniece, 10.
The good news from float builders and sponsors -- whose main reason for building floats is to promote good news about themselves -- is that many of their flowered creations were planned a year ago and paid for before the financial world collapsed.
The 46 floats in the Rose Parade range from relatively modest $50,000 entries sponsored by local community groups and cities to nearly half-million-dollar, over-the-top floral contraptions with animated appendages. Builders of the more extravagant entries say they haven't been affected by changing prices or the bad economy.
Tim Estes of Fiesta Parade Floats, which built a dozen floats for today's parade, said that the economy has not dampened his clients' enthusiasm for the parade. "A number of them are eager to get going again," he said.
But smaller organizations and cities have felt the pinch, scrambling to trim costs or fill budget gaps.
In West Covina, businesses that had pledged financial support to the city's Rose Float Foundation, including several auto dealers, had to scale back donations. A fundraiser to "sponsor a rose"-- which typically brings in a few thousand dollars -- garnered only a few hundred in 2008. And residents who could have donated a few extra dollars each month to the group through their trash bills largely opted out.
That left the foundation in a bind, said executive vice president Chris Freeland. Perhaps the sale of "rose float potpourri" from flowers salvaged from the float after New Year's Day will help.
"We're grasping at whatever," Freeland said.